Moonlight and Roses
by Wynter Evergreen
Summary: Two lonely and broken boys, brought together by their deep longing for love
1. Chapter 1

disclaimer: the characters don't belong to me unfortunately. JKR owns them *sigh* no copyright infringement intended

**Moonlight and Roses**

chapter 1

Harry stared out the frost covered window as the snowflakes gently fell outside. He was glad that he was inside away from the bitter December cold. He snuggled down into the couch and pulled the blanket more tightly around him. He listened to the crackling of the fire in the fireplace and looked down at the sleeping Draco, whose head was on Harry's shoulder. Harry smiled and gently moved a strand of white blond hair out of Draco's face.

It was strange really, Draco and Harry being together, Harry was still surprised, even today. Some people say that love can be found when you least expect it, and that was definitely true for Harry and Draco. It had all started in their fifth year at Hogwarts. By then, both boys had been through so much, and in a way, they were both broken. On one hand, there was Harry, who had already faced Voldemort multiple times, and if that wasn't enough, he had seen a boy murdered. Sure, he had many regular scars, which always healed, but the scars that came from facing Voldemort and watching someone die didn't heal so easily. Despite having friends that cared about him, he felt alone as ever. Things were too complicated, and nobody understood, so he thought. On the other hand, there was Draco Malfoy, who, to say the least, was very mysterious. Nobody really knew that much about him, all except that his family was associated with Voldemort. Nobody knew that on the inside he was hurting, and that he felt trapped in a life he didn't want to lead. He secretly hated his father, although his father didn't physically abuse him, the constant drilling into his head of what was right and what was expected of him felt like torture enough. He always felt like he wasn't good enough and he felt like there was something wrong with him. The constant punishments from his father and the "that's not good enough", "do it right", and "what's wrong with you", in place of "I love you" left scars too, and like Harry's, these didn't heal easily either. So both boys were hurting, and desperately aching for someone to love them.

The nights were long for both of them, as their dreams were filled with nightmares. So, neither of them slept much. Harry usually wandered around the castle with his invisibility cloak until he was too exhausted to take another step, or morning, whichever came first. One night he wandered up to the astronomy tower, and was surprised to see none other than Draco Malfoy. But, something was different about him, up there all alone, and Harry was even more surprised to see that Draco was crying. Harry remembered that night so vividly because to him, it was the first time that he truly met Draco, and saw him for who he truly was. Harry stood there, just looking at Draco in the moonlight. He debated taking off his invisibility cloak, for he was afraid of what Draco's reaction would be. Finally, curiosity got the better of him, and he took off the cloak. Slowly he walked over to Draco, whispering his name:

"_Malfoy?"_

Draco didn't move until Harry walked up and stood behind him. For once in Draco's life, he didn't spit out a scathing retort, and Harry was actually amazed. Draco turned to face Harry. His face said it all. Harry looked at his tearstained face and into his silver eyes, which were filled with pain. Harry could almost feel the despair emanating from him. He reached up and gently rested his hand on Draco's shoulder. They stood there for a long time, searching each other's eyes, both wondering the same thing. How could enemies be so drawn towards each other?

Then, they talked. Slowly over the weeks and months that followed, they learned each other's stories. They talked about everything, their pain, hardships, and everything that they felt. They would meet every night, in that same place up in the astronomy tower. Through all the time they had spent together, something inexplicable had happened. Somehow the fragile rosebud of love had begun to open. Harry realized this one night, after one of their longer talks, where many tears had been shed. They sat there in each other's arms, comforting each other.

"_Draco," _Harry whispered, and Draco looked at him with quite the same look he had given him on the first night_, "I love you."_

"_I love you too." _Draco said in almost a surprised way, as if he were just realizing it himself.

Then, their lips met, in their first kiss. It was gentle and a bit tentative, but it felt right, and they both knew it. But, of course, when morning came, everything had to go back to normal, and no one could know about the secret they had to hide. They were supposed to be enemies after all. Harry didn't even dare tell Ron or Hermione, as he knew they would never accept it. So Draco and Harry's lives went on as if the midnight meetings didn't happen. They said hateful things to each other during the day, and exchanged tearful apologies during the nights. But if anyone had ever looked into their eyes when Draco and Harry were fighting, they would have realized that there was no hate between them at all, and in fact, they were both on the verge of tears.

"_I am so sorry." Sobbed Draco._

"_Ssh, I know, it's alright." Harry whispered, pulling Draco into a hug. Draco put his head on Harry's shoulder._

"_I hate this, why can't people just understand?" he whispered. _Feeling thesame way, Harry softly replied_, "One day they will, I promise."_

Their relationship went on like that over the rest of fifth year, and they found comfort in each other, and grew stronger because of it. They were slowly healing, and everything was looking better for them. Then, suddenly, it all came crashing down. Harry had to face Voldemort once again, and he had to watch his godfather die. For Harry, that signaled the start of the second war with Voldemort. From there, things only got worse. The war was long, painful, and difficult. The things that Draco, Harry, and everyone had to witness were horrific. Their relationship was basically nonexistent; they hadn't been able to see each other. It was just too dangerous, but when they saw each other in class or in the halls and they looked into each other's eyes, they both knew that the love was still there. As their sixth year went on, things only got worse. They were both being pulled in different direction, torn apart by what the people around them believed in. Terrible things happened, to both of them, things that neither of them could control. Draco was forced to do things that he wanted nothing to do with, but he had to do them, or he would be killed. Likewise, Harry had to figure things out that didn't make sense, and the task of saving the wizarding world felt like a three hundred pound weight on his shoulders. It seemed like things were as bad as they could get. Then, Dumbledore was killed, and everything crumbled down around them. All of the strength that Harry had built up shattered, and he was completely and utterly alone. Draco had hit rock bottom long before Dumbledore's death. He felt like he was dead inside, and he was almost hoping for death, because he figured that dying would be better than what he was living. The only thing that kept him going was the hope that one day Harry would return, and defeat Voldemort. Although Harry had Ron and Hermione with him during his search for horcruxes, he still felt like they couldn't understand what he was going through. But, as they helped him through those tough times, their friendship only grew stronger. Meanwhile, Draco was just getting by, because he didn't really have any true friends. Being in slytherin, you couldn't trust even your "friends", because they were willing to do anything to gain the dark lord's recognition.

For both of them, the days were long and filled with darkness. It wasn't getting better, and everyone was afraid that Voldemort would come out on top. People began losing hope, especially at Hogwarts. But when, Harry, Ron, and Hermione came back, everyone was relieved, but they were still afraid. The battle at Hogwarts took everyone to the very edge. They all worked as hard as they possibly could. When the final moment came, everyone held their breaths. Then, it was all over. Voldemort was dead, and to many it didn't seem real. But it was, and Harry was a hero. But, amid all of the cheering and celebration, there was something floating through the crowd. The word was that Harry had saved Draco. It was true, and now everyone knew the truth.

"_Draco."_

"_Harry."_

They both smiled as they walked up to each other. Draco collapsed into Harry's arms. Tears began streaming down their faces as they let out all the emotion they had bottled up inside. Then they realized that the crowd had quieted slightly. People were looking at them, some actually smiling. Then they began to clap. Harry and Draco looked at each other and laughed.

"_I told you people would understand." _Harry whispered

"_Are you sure about that?" _Draco laughed as he looked over at his parents, who looked horror stricken.

"_I love you."_

"_I love you too."_

Actually, not everyone understood, and it took a lot of convincing, but their relationship never faltered, and here they were today, a year later. Harry thought back to their first kiss in the astronomy tower, and he remembered how beautiful it was, with the moon shining down on them. He gently lowered his face to Draco's and softly kissed him. Draco's eyes fluttered open and he smiled as he looked up at Harry.

"Sorry," Harry said softly. "I didn't mean to wake you."

Draco let out a little yawn and as he stretched he replied, "No it's alright. We should probably get to wrapping the presents."

He got up off the couch and walked into the kitchen, where they had left all the gifts. Harry heard Draco rustling around in the bags.

"The necklace we bought Hermione really is beautiful."

Harry chuckled and stood up, stretching his arms. Draco had insisted that they should buy everyone muggle presents this year for Christmas. So, naturally, Draco forced Harry, who absolutely hated shopping, to take him to all the best muggle shops. Draco was meticulous about finding exactly the right gifts for all their friends. So, when they had passed by a little antique shop, Draco just had to go in, because it reminded him of Hermione. They found the necklace there, and even Harry had to admit that it reminded him of Hermione. It was simple, but that was what made it so pretty. It was a small heart shaped locket with a delicate engraved flower design, on an intricately braided gold chain. He walked into the kitchen and put his arms around Draco, who was holding up the necklace. Draco smiled and leaned back against him. Harry nuzzled his face into Draco's neck. Draco laughed.

"No, come on, we have to finish wrapping these gifts,"

"Oh, all right." Harry sighed. But he smiled and started taking the rest of the gifts out of the bags. They practically couldn't keep their hands off of each other. Their love had definitely blossomed into a fully fledged, red, vibrant rose.

* * *

My first fanfiction ever!! Yay!! *whew* I'm so relieved, I finally got it out there. Well, thanks for reading it, and please review. I think i want to continue with this story, but I'm not sure. Tell me what you think!!

Thanks again, Wynter Evergreen


	2. Chapter 2

disclaimer: these lovely characters belong to JKR, not me

**Moonlight and Roses**

**Chapter 2**

The gifts were wrapped, Harry and Draco were dressed, and there were a few minutes to spare before they had to leave for the party. The Weasleys were having a Christmas party this year, despite the tragedy of loosing Fred still fresh in their minds. But, they decided that Christmas must still go on, and what better place to have a party than the burrow. Harry knew though, that it would never be the same without Fred, but he also knew that the Weasleys were trying as best as they could to recover from their grief. They still had six children, so naturally there was still quite a bit going on.

Harry loved Christmas. Ever since he had started spending Christmases at the burrow, with the Weasley clan, he had grown very fond of it. He loved the festiveness of the decorations and the warm and loving feeling that seemed to surround everyone. But, most of all he loved the amazing food, of course. For Draco, it was different though. The Christmases at his house never seemed to have that warm and loving feeling. So, he wasn't sure what to expect. But, he knew that he would like it, because he had always had the feeling that this was what Christmases were supposed to be like.

They stood in front of the bathroom mirror, putting the last touches on their appearances. Or, rather Draco was, as Harry had already given up on the chance that his hair would ever lay flat. Draco kept fussing with his hair, trying to make it look perfect.

"Draco, you look _fine_." Harry sighed.

"Well, I have to make a good impression." Draco replied, giving his hair one last smooth.

"On who? We know everyone who's going to be there?"

"I don't want anyone thinking I've let myself go, now do I?"

Harry chuckled and put his hand on Draco's shoulder. With a look of mock concern, he said,

"You're not nervous, are you?"

"What? Hardly," Draco replied, "I don't get nervous."

With that he turned to Harry. "Okay, I'm ready."

"Alright your highness." Harry joked as he bowed down. Draco still did have a bit of pride left in him.

They gathered everything they needed and headed over to the fireplace. Nowadays they usually used the floo network to get where they needed to go. Neither of them was particularly excited about the idea of the press getting a hold of them. There were already enough speculations in the _Daily Prophet_ about them. In fact, in the beginning there was at least one mention of them per day in it. People were obsessed with hearing about "the boy who lived and that Malfoy boy".

As they stood in front of the glowing fire, they wrapped their arms around each other and kissed passionately. After all, it had to last them the whole evening. They had decided to go easy with showing affection for each other at the party, because they were sure that not everyone was exactly comfortable with them being together like that. Some people weren't entirely convinced that it was a good idea for them to be together, and Harry knew the Weasleys had their doubts. He didn't blame them though, because to them it probably seemed rather suspicious. So, Harry and Draco would attempt to refrain from kissing and such for the duration of the party. They pulled away from each other, and Harry grabbed some floo powder and stepped into the flames.

"The burrow."

He felt the familiar spinning sensation, and a moment later he found himself in the decorated and lively living room of the burrow. Draco was beside him a few seconds later. They were surprised by how nicely the house was decorated. There was a huge tree in the corner, adorned with glistening snow, ribbons, and twinkling lights. There were real icicles scattered about the room. This was one of the times when Harry really loved magic.

There were quite a few people there already, and in the blink of an eye, Hermione was there, hugging both of them.

"Oh, I'm so glad to see you two!" she squealed, "How are you?"

"Great, you?" Harry replied with a smile, he had forgotten how much he had missed her.

"Things are going really well Harry, it seems like things are starting to get better."

Harry nodded, knowing what she meant. It might not ever be the same as before, but things were slowly beginning to heal.

Hermione grabbed their hands. "Everyone is going to be so happy to see you. You've been holed up in that house of yours forever."

Draco laughed. "Is it a crime to want some privacy?"

"Well, I guess there must have been some reason." She smiled. "Come on, Molly's in the kitchen."

The three of them maneuvered their way through the crowd, Harry and Draco saying hurried greetings to everyone.

"Hiya, Harry."

"Hey Seamus."

"Draco, nice to see you."

"Hello Blaise."

"Harry, haven't seen you in ages."

"Hey Neville, it's been a while."

They finally made it to the kitchen, and when Molly saw Harry, she almost dropped the dish she had in her hands.

"Oh my, Harry it's so good to see you! We've been so worried!" She practically shrieked as she set down the dish.

"Mrs. Weasley." Harry smiled.

She gathered him in a hug and then held his face in her hands. She narrowed her eyes. Harry noticed that her face looked more hollowed, and tired. But, Harry thought she was doing extremely well.

"You're looking a bit skinny, have you been eating enough?"

Then, she looked at Draco, her eyes lighting up. She put her hands on his shoulders.

"Draco, how have you been?"

She hugged him, and Draco, clearly surprised, sputtered, "Uh, fine."

She drew away from him, and looked at both of them with quite a large smile.

"Sit down boys, and have something to eat."

"I'll go get Ronald," Hermione said, "he'll be happy to see you." She just about skipped out of the room.

"She seems pretty happy." Harry chuckled.

"Come to think of it, she has been in quite a good mood lately." Replied Mrs. Weasley.

Just then, Mr. Weasley walked into the room, a smile blooming on his face when he saw Harry.

"Harry, my boy, it's so good to see you." He said, giving him a pat on the shoulder.

"It's great to see you too Mr. Weasley." Harry replied.

Mr. Weasley looked over at Draco and frowned.

"Hello Draco." He said stiffly, and walked out of the room before he could reply.

Draco frowned slightly, and harry reassuringly squeezed his shoulder.

"Oh, don't mind Arthur," Mrs. Weasley said, "He's just not used to the whole thing just yet."

"It's alright," Draco replied, "I didn't expect everyone to be." He looked over at Harry. Harry felt his heart break a little, from the look in Draco's eyes. He was trying so hard to prove himself to everyone, and Harry could tell that it hurt him when people acted that way towards him. But they were glad that so many people had accepted him, especially Mrs. Weasley.

"Well, grab a plate of food," she said, gesturing to the table which was almost overflowing with every kind of food imaginable, "and go enjoy the party."

They both filled their plates with food and wandered into the living room. They meandered around until they found a less crowded spot by the beautifully decorated Christmas tree.

"Oi, there you are mate." Ron said as he clapped Harry on the back.

"Hey Ron, good to see you." He was extremely glad to see Ron. He had forgotten how much he had missed his friends.

"Yeah, it's been a while eh? Good to see you too, Draco."

Surprised again, Draco nodded.

Hermione laughed. "You know Draco; you're just as welcome here as Harry is."

"I know, I know. But it's just strange, everyone being so, well…comfortable with me here." Draco replied.

"As long as Harry trusts you, so do I." Ron said, and they all laughed. Harry noticed that Draco seemed to relax a bit, and made a mental note to thank his friends later.

"So," said Hermione, "tell us what you've been up to."

Throughout the rest of the party, they wandered around and caught up with all their friends. They hadn't seen many of them since they'd were at Hogwarts the previous year. They heard all kinds of interesting things about what people were doing, who was going out with who, and those sorts of things. They had had a particularly strange conversation with Luna about her trip to look for crumple horned snorkacks, and as she walked away, she said brightly, "Don't forget about the nargles, they tend to be around the mistletoe." They both laughed and shook their heads as they sat down on the sofa.

"She's crazy, but you've got to love her." Harry said as he put down his plate on the coffee table.

"I can't believe that Pansy and Seamus are together, who would've thought?" said Draco.

"I know, and can you believe that Dean was offered the spot of History of Magic professor at Hogwarts! I never saw that one coming." Harry replied.

"I guess we've been out of the loop too long."

"Yeah, we should probably keep up with people more."

Harry was brimming with happiness, and he could tell that Draco was too, because he hadn't been this relaxed in a long time. Harry was so happy to see Draco talking with everyone and seeing that he was able to handle it made Harry want to grab him and plant a kiss on his lips. But, he had to resist the temptation. The truth was that this was good for them, because it made them feel normal, and they hadn't felt like that in a long time.

They heard a tinkling noise, as someone was tapping their glass. They turned around and saw Ron and Hermione standing in front of the tree. Ron cleared his throat and said,

"We, um, have a little announcement to make." His face turning red as he said it. He never was very fond of speaking in front of large crowds. Sensing his distress, Hermione broke in, saying,

"We're engaged" Both of their faces were lit up with huge smiles.

Ron grabbed her hands and pulled her into a loving embrace. The crowd erupted into cheering and applause. Harry and Draco stood up and clapped.

"It's about time." Harry said smiling.

"We all knew it was going to happen sooner or later." Draco replied.

That was very true. Harry didn't think that anyone was surprised. Although Ron and Hermione seemed a bit young, everyone had always known that it was only a matter of time. They really had been together since they were eleven.

Harry noticed Draco looking at Ron and Hermione with a strange look on his face. He was smiling, but his eyes betrayed him. Was that _longing _that Harry saw reflecting in his eyes? That's when an interesting thought began pushing its way into Harry's mind. But, he pushed it away, intending to ponder over it later.

"C'mon, let's go congratulate them."

They walked over to the happy couple, and this time it was Harry clapping Ron on the back.

"Finally popped the question, did you?" Harry chuckled.

"Yup, I figured it was about time." Ron said as he put his arm around Hermione's shoulders.

"Congratulations," Draco said, "I'll bet your parents are happy."

"Oh, yeah, Mum's ecstatic. She's already planned the whole wedding and everything." Ron replied.

Hermione smiled. "My parents are kind of shocked, you know, with us being so young, and the fact that I'm marrying a wizard." She looked up at Ron. "But, they're happy for me."

Draco smiled slightly, that same strange look in his eyes. Then Seamus and Dean came walking up.

"I think you've really gone mental this time." Said Seamus, shaking his head, a mock frown on his face. "Things can only go down from here."

"Oh, honestly." Said Hermione, rolling her eyes.

"I'm only joking." Seamus said laughing.

Harry and Draco stayed and talked to Ron and Hermione for a while. They planned on getting married in the summer, at the burrow, as Bill and Fleur had. They wanted the ceremony to be a bit simpler, and they insisted that Harry and Draco be a part of it.

After a while though, Harry noticed that Draco was beginning to fade slightly. Harry was a bit tired himself, and he decided that it was time for them to go. They said their goodbyes to Ron and Hermione and all their friends, and went into the kitchen to say goodbye to Mrs. Weasley. To Harry's surprise, Ginny was in the kitchen with Mrs. Weasley. She turned around when she heard them come in, her eyes darkening when she saw Harry.

"Oh, Harry, how lovely." She said, turning back around.

Harry sighed, and he and Draco said their goodbyes to Mrs. Weasley. Ginny had never forgiven Harry for everything. She had always loved him. She still hadn't gotten over him, and Harry thought that she would still be bitter towards him for a while. But, what did he expect? He did break her heart after all.

As Harry and Draco walked out of the kitchen, Mrs. Weasley called to them,

"Remember, you are always welcome here. Whenever you're feeling hungry, don't be afraid to pop in."

"Thanks, we will." Harry replied.

Then, they went to the fireplace and flooded back to their house. They were both quite tired, so they decided to just go to bed. As they were climbing underneath the covers, Harry noticed that Draco was being unusually quiet. Snuggling under the covers, Harry asked,

"Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." Draco replied, snuggling under the covers himself. But, Harry could sense that something wasn't right. He pulled Draco closer, putting his arms around him. He gently caressed Draco's back, as he rested his head on Harry's shoulder.

"Draco, you know you can tell me anything." Harry whispered,

Draco looked up at him, the moonlight illuminating he perfect pale face. Harry looked into his big silver eyes, so full of emotion. Those eyes made his heart melt, and every time he looked into them, he fell in love with him all over again.

Draco sighed. "It's just that, well…sometimes I just wonder if things would have been different, if we were…normal I guess. You know."

Harry just nodded, knowing exactly what he meant. They were brought together by things that were out of their control. Their relationship developed out of pain, suffering, and need. If things would have been different, they might not have fallen in love. The bottom line was that they weren't meant to be together, and that was a heavy burden to bear.

"I love you." Whispered Draco, as he drifted off to sleep.

"I love you too." Harry whispered.

They both meant it, and knew that they were in love with each other. But, Harry knew that it wasn't a question of their love for each other, it was a question of whether it was right. Although beautiful, every rose has its thorns.

* * *

Thanks for reading, and i hoped you liked the second chapter!! Sorry it took me so long to upload it, hopefully i will have the third and final chapter up by next weekend. Oh, and about the whole floo network thing, the reason for that is because...i forgot about apparation *bashes head off desk* I have no idea how i forgot about it! I decided not to change it, because i realized that whole thing after i was done, and i was just so shocked. Jeez, i must be exhausted. Well, anyway, next time is the final chapter, and thanks again for reading!!! Review if you can!!

Till next time,

Wynter


	3. Chapter 3

JKR owns

**Moonlight and Roses**

**chapter 3**

Harry's eyes bolted open when he felt the blankets being pulled off of him. He sat up and looked over at Draco, and sure enough, he was tossing and turning, the sheets tangled around him. Harry reached over and tried to wake him, because before long, he would begin thrashing around. It was the nightmares that caused this. They had plagued Draco ever since he was young, and he just couldn't handle them well. Harry could only guess at what kinds of things were in Draco's nightmares, and quite frankly he didn't really want to know. The gruesome scenes in his own nightmares were enough for him.

Harry slid over closer to Draco, and tried waking him. It wasn't working, and before long, he began wildly flailing around. He kept saying things like "no, please, no." over and over again. Harry sighed, he dreaded these episodes. Using as much strength as he could muster, he pulled Draco close to him and cradled him against his chest, pinning down his arms. These were the times when Harry wanted to put his head in his hands and give up. But, every time he looked at Draco in this state, he felt a piece of his heart shatter. Draco helped Harry more than he could ever know, and he knew that Draco deserved that kind of help in return. He tried his hardest to give that to him. Draco just wasn't equipped to his nightmares as well as Harry was able to. He wasn't at peace; he had too many unanswered questions. He was left wondering "why?", and it didn't help that his family wasn't around to support him. Harry knew that the least he could do was give Draco his love and support, but he wished he could do more for him.

After a while, Harry felt Draco stop struggling. He looked down at his face and he felt like his heart was being torn from his chest. Draco's face was bathed in the moonlight, his eyes shining with tears. It was so tragically beautiful. Harry felt a tear slide down his cheek as he looked into Draco's eyes. He had so much pain inside, and Harry wished with all his heart that he could take that pain away. Harry lay down and pulled Draco closer. With their arms wrapped around each other, their silent tears lulled them back into sleep.

Harry stood in the kitchen, drinking a cup of coffee. He looked out the window at the pastel colors in the sky as the sun rose. He smiled, it was quite pretty. But, then he sighed. Everything pretty seemed to remind him of Draco, the sunrise, a perfect red rose, the moon. It made him feel like a sap, but he couldn't help it, he loved him so much. But, something had been bothering him, after what Draco had said the night before. It had really made him think about everything, and now he was wondering now himself, if what he was doing was right. He knew that Draco loved him, but he also knew that Draco still had deep, unhealed scars. He couldn't help but feel selfish, for wanting to keep Draco all for himself. What if someone else could give Draco what he needed? Harry felt like Draco deserved more that what he could give him.

He knew what bothered Draco the most though, was that people still didn't accept that they were together, and probably never would. They both got the feeling sometimes, that people didn't take their relationship seriously, and they had the suspicion that people thought that they were just going through a phase or something and that they wouldn't last much longer. Harry hated that nothing could ever be simple or normal with them. Draco deserved to have some element of normalcy after all of the completely horrid stuff they had been through, and Harry hated even more that he couldn't give that to him.

The sound of Draco's footsteps, as he walked into the kitchen, brought Harry's attention back from his thoughts.

"Hey." Draco said, as he stood against the counter next to Harry.

"'Morning." Harry replied. He noticed that Draco's hair was sticking up a bit, and smiled. Draco looked out the window, smiling as he looked out over the sparkling wintery landscape.

"It's really beautiful, isn't it?"

"Yeah," Harry replied, without taking his eyes off of Draco's face, "it is."

They stood there for a few moments, silently, lost in their thoughts. Before he could stop himself, Harry blurted out,

"Do you believe in soul mates?" A blush instantly began creeping up his cheeks. Draco looked confused for a few seconds, and then answered.

"I don't really know. I mean I guess I've just always assumed that my parents would set up a marriage for me, so I never really thought about things like that. Why, do you?"

"I don't really know either," Harry replied, "to me it always seemed like I would end up with Ginny or something, because that's what people thought, or how they thought it should be. So I'm not sure."

Draco was silent for a few moments, and then he looked at Harry's face and smiled. "Why would I go looking for something that I don't even know exists, when I've got everything I could ever want right here."

Harry was taken aback. He almost thought that tears would begin to spill from his eyes. That was, perhaps, the most beautiful thing anyone had ever said to him.

"Do you really feel that way?" Harry managed to choke out.

Draco laughed, "Of course I do, you little prat." He pulled Harry towards him, and they wrapped their arms around each other.

Harry chuckled. "You know, you are the only one who has ever made me feel this way."

"What way?"

"Like, I feel the urge to go all poetic and say something really corny."

Draco laughed. "Well, go ahead."

Harry smiled, "Okay, when I'm around you, it seems like nothing else matters. When you smile, I feel all warm and fuzzy inside, and when we kiss, my head spins. I love you like I've never loved anyone before."

He had barely gotten the last word out, when Draco kissed him.

"How was that for making your head spin?"

"It happens every time."

Then, rather shyly, Draco asked, "How do you feel about marriage?"

The guilty feeling came flooding back into Harry's mind; he did not want to talk about this right now. He ran his hand through his hair. He really didn't know what to say. Obviously he loved Draco, and of course he would want to marry him, but he was back to his struggle. Were his reasons selfish, and did Draco deserve better? He finally decided on an answer.

"I hope to get married some day, I guess." He knew that it was kind of a weak answer, but he wasn't ready to share his thoughts with Draco yet, because he cared about him too much.

Draco replied softly, "Yeah, me too."

Harry could sense the wistfulness in his voice, and he couldn't help but think that it had something to do with the look in his eyes the night before; as he watched Ron and Hermione announce their engagement. That little idea popped into his head again. He was so confused, he didn't know how to feel. He was all mixed up inside, he needed to talk to someone about all this, or he feared that he would explode.

To lighten the mood a bit, he asked, "So, what's our plan for today?"

"Well," Draco replied, "it is Christmas eve, so there should be plenty to keep us busy."

Harry nearly felt like smacking his head off the counter. How could he have forgotten?

"Oh, I can't believe I forgot." He groaned.

Draco laughed. "Well, I've got some last minute things to do, and I'm guessing you do too." He said, winking as he walked out of the kitchen.

Harry sighed as set his coffee cup down in the sink. Today would be a good day to pay Mrs. Weasley a visit; she was bound to have some words of wisdom for him.

*******

As soon as Draco had left, Harry hurriedly got ready and headed over to the burrow. As soon as he got there, he could tell that everyone was very busy, and he almost decided that it wasn't the best time. But, before he had time to change his mind, Mrs. Weasley saw him.

"Harry! I'm so glad you came by!" She said excitedly, as she gave him a quick hug. "I could really use your help. Mysteriously, everyone else had somewhere to be." She laughed.

Harry couldn't turn her down, even though he couldn't blame the others for not wanting to be there. So, he agreed to help her, because there was clearly a lot to do. They began in the kitchen, as Mrs. Weasley had been baking since that morning. The kitchen smelled wonderful, and there was food laying out cooling in just about every open space. Harry wondered what had happened to the food from the night before. But, he guessed that it had all been eaten, after all, it wouldn't have been hard with Ron being in the house.

They talked while they worked, just light conversation. Harry was trying to find the words to explain to Mrs. Weasley about the real reason he had come. But then, luckily, she sort of brought up the subject.

"Oh yes, all the kids are coming up tonight, we all wanted to spend this Christmas together. You and Draco are coming too right? I mean, you are part of the family too."

Harry wasn't really surprised by the question, or rather, statement, because he knew she wasn't really asking. He had always spent Christmas with the Weasleys, and he was glad that Draco was welcome to be there too.

"Yeah, of course," he replied, "but, um, I kind of wanted to talk to you about that, Draco I mean."

She set down the rolling pin she had been using, and looked at him. He guessed that she could sense his desperation, because she wiped her hands on his apron, and said, "Come, let's go sit down, we deserve a break anyway."

They went out into the living room and settled down on the old, comfy couch.

"Okay dear, tell me what's bothering you." Mrs. Weasley said, smiling encouragingly.

Harry didn't know how to start. He didn't know how to explain all the emotions swirling around inside of him. He was afraid that he wouldn't be able to convey his feelings well enough for her to understand, because he didn't even know what some of his feelings were sometimes. But, he had come here to talk to her about it, so he knew he had to try.

He sighed and began. "I love Draco, more than anything, I really do. It's just that sometimes I feel guilty…I don't know, I feel like he deserves better. I wish that I could give him more. He's been through so much, we all have, and I know that at times, we both wish that things could just be normal." He paused, not knowing how to put his thoughts and feelings into words. He knew what he had to say next, but he was dreading it, because these were the things that hurt him most of all. In a quiet voice, he continued, "If things had been normal…we wouldn't have been together. I'm afraid…that this will only bring us more pain. People have never accepted our relationship, most probably never will, and I just don't know how much more we can take. Is it even possible for two people who aren't supposed to be together to be in love like this? I just don't know what to do." He felt tears welling up in his eyes, and when he looked at Mrs. Weasley, she looked like she was on the verge of tears too. She reached over and gently grasped his hands.

"Harry, I have never doubted that what you feel for Draco is real. It is so heart wrenching, that you feel like you aren't good enough for Draco! I don't care what anyone says, it is plain to see that you two belong together. Don't think for a second that you don't because of all of these 'what if's'. You can't live life that way, thinking about what could have happened. What happened is what happened, and you can't change that.

Harry, you are the best thing that has ever happened to Draco, and I don't understand why you can't see that. The way he looks at you, it seems as if you are his whole world. You have helped each other heal. Whenever you are together, you both seem so calm and happy, the happiest I have ever seen you." She paused and looked at him, straight in his eyes. "You both have so many scars from what you went through. But, the worst scars are the ones that form from wounds in the heart."

Tears were streaming down her face now, and she leaned in and hugged Harry. He blinked. It was almost as if the clouds had parted and the sun was shining down on him. Why hadn't he realized these things before? Draco was his world, and he was Draco's world. They meant everything to each other. He couldn't picture himself with anyone else, ever. He suddenly knew what the perfect Christmas gift for Draco would be.

*******

Harry paced back and forth across the living room. He reached into his pocket and felt the small velvety box. After he had finished up at the burrow, he had made a quick stop in Diagon Alley, so he could make a few last minute, but extremely important purchases.

He could hear the clock ticking, and with every passing second, he could feel the nervous energy fluttering around inside him. But, it was a good kind of nervous, if in fact that kind of feeling existed. This was going to be, perhaps, the most important night of his life. He had been waiting anxiously for Draco to get home for some time. He was scared though, because this was what he wanted, more than anything he had ever wanted before, and he hoped that Draco felt the same way. Well, of course he did, but was he ready for this, did he want this? Surely the comment he had made earlier meant that he wanted this. All the unanswered thoughts and questions were threatening to drive him crazy.

Just when he thought that he couldn't wait any longer, he heard the familiar poofing sound some form the fireplace. His hand clenched tighter around the box in his pocket as Draco appeared and stepped out of the fireplace. His cheeks were tinted a light pink from being out in the cold, and his hands were full of shopping bags. Harry took a deep breath, trying to steady himself so that he could try and act as normal as possible.

"Hey."

"Hi." Draco replied, holding out some of the bags to Harry. "Help me with these, will you?"

Harry laughed and grabbed the bags, which were heavier than he thought they'd be.

"Merlin Draco, were you trying to buy gifts for half the country?"

Draco rolled his eyes. "What can I say, there were some pretty good sales, and I couldn't just pass them up."

"Of course not." Said Harry as he lugged the bags across the room. They set the bags down in the kitchen, and Draco took off his coat and draped it over the back of a chair.

"So, what are we going to do tonight?" Draco asked as he pulled Harry close and put his arms around him. Harry kissed him, and then whispered, "Come with me." He Grabbed Draco's hand and walked into the living room.

Harry turned off the lights. The moon was especially bright, its silvery light filtered in through the window, illuminating the room. It was perfect, and it was just the way Harry had pictured how it should be. They sat down on the couch. Harry still held Draco's hand as he looked at his face, which was stunning in the moonlight. He couldn't help but recall that first night in the astronomy tower. Draco still looked the same, but yet, in a way he looked different. A lot had changed since that night, they had changed. Harry looked into Draco's eyes, which were the most different. Where there had once been despair, there was now a look of happiness and content. Harry smiled, and realized that Draco was looking a bit confused. He laughed and grabbed both of Draco's hands.

"Draco Malfoy, I love you with all of my heart, and every ounce of my being. I know that we were brought together by pain and longing and things that were out of our control, but, none of that matters now. All that matters is that I want to be with you, I can't see myself with anyone else, and I want to be with you for the rest of our lives." He paused, looking for any kind of reaction. Draco looked puzzled, but he was smiling.

"Harry?"

"Wait, let me finish. I know that sometimes you wish that things were normal, and that people could just accept this. Well, I can't give you normal, nothing about our lives has been normal. And, quite frankly, I stopped caring what people thought a long time ago. But, what I can give you is understanding, a shoulder to cry on, someone to come home to, someone to share the joys and hardships of life with, and most importantly, I can give you love." He looked into Draco's eyes, and was terrified for a moment, because he looked so confused, but then his eyes softened, and he said,

"It sounds like…Harry are you-?"

"Proposing?" Harry said as he pulled out the box and opened the lid, "yeah, I am."

Draco smiled then, as he looked at the ring, which had two interwoven bands. It was gorgeous, and so symbolic.

To Harry's surprise, tears began running down Draco's face. Harry's heart practically broke; it wasn't supposed to be like this.

"Draco, I'm sorry, I didn't mean-"

Draco rolled his eyes and laughed, "These are tears of joy you prat."

Harry wasn't sure what to think. "So does that mean-?"

But before he could finish, Draco pulled him close and kissed him. The feeling was amazing, it just felt so right.

After they pulled away from each other, Draco said, "I would love to marry you, Harry Potter."

Then, suddenly, Hermione burst into the room. Their heads both snapped in her direction, they hadn't even heard her come in.

"Congratulations! Oh, this is just so wonderful!" She said as she gave both of them hugs. "Molly told us everything." She smiled as she sat down next to them.

"Us?" Harry asked.

Hermione laughed. "Ronald's here, he's hiding over there."

"I am not hiding." Ron said sheepishly as he walked over to them. "I just didn't think that we should disturb them, with this being such an important moment and all."

"Well," Hermione said matter of factly, "they were finished kissing."

Harry felt himself blushing, and he could see that Draco's face was a bit pink too. He cleared his throat.

"Well, one thing's for sure, I can always count on you guys to show up during the most…er, unexpected times."

They all laughed, and then Hermione said, "What are friends for? And, anyway, we have to finalize all the plans."

"You already planned our wedding?" Draco said, amused. "But you just found out."

Hermione grinned. "Well, someone has to do it for you. You both know that you would never get it done by yourselves. I guess I just had the feeling that you two were going to stay together, so while I was organizing my wedding plans, I did a bit for you too."

"What exactly did you plan for us?" Harry asked, because with Hermione you never knew.

"Oh, we're going to have a double wedding of course!" Hermione said excitedly, as if it was obvious that that was what they were going to do.

Harry looked at Draco, he hadn't really thought past the proposal, so he really had no idea what to do about the wedding. Draco seemed to be pondering over the idea, and then he smiled. He reached for Hermione's hand.

"That would be great."

Hermione gave him a quick hug, and then dove right in to telling him all the details. Harry wasn't interested much in all the little wedding details and things, all he really cared about was the ceremony itself. He knew that was how Ron felt too.

He got up off the couch and went over to where his friend was standing.

"Guess we're in the same boat now." Said Ron smiling

"Yeah, this should be interesting." They both laughed.

"Mum is really excited about it though, she loved having Bill and Fleur's wedding at the house."

"I bet. It should be nice."

"It will be."

Harry smiled. "Thanks, Ron, for everything."

"Friends always stick together, mate, I thought you'd have realized that by now." They laughed and went back over to Draco and Hermione.

"Isn't this just great? It's going to be perfect, I've always dreamed of having a wedding with my best friends." Hermione said.

Harry saw Draco's face light up as she said it. He couldn't agree more. Harry grabbed Draco's hands and pulled him up. There, in the moonlight, as the clock struck midnight, they kissed, welcoming in Christmas with the greatest gift of all. They couldn't wait to begin the rest of their lives, together.

The most beautiful thing about a rose is that every year, it comes back, just as stunning and alive as the year before. Draco and Harry's love, like the faithful rose, would continue for many, many years to come.

* * *

*Phew* it's finished. I'm really proud of myself for finishing it, its very exciting because i barely ever finish anything i start. I'm so grateful for everyone who read my story, thank you so much. I hoped you enjoyed reading it as much as i enjoyed writing it. Oh, and i'm sorry that this one took so long to put up *blushes*, i was really busy. I know thats a crappy excuse, but i was lol. Thanks again for reading this, and review if you can!

Love ya,

Wynter


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